AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Police Department is welcoming 63 new officers Friday during a graduation ceremony for the 145th Cadet Class and 146th Transitional Officer Cadet Class.
The ceremony will take place at Bannockburn Church, located at 7100 Brodie Lane, at 2 p.m. It will be broadcast live on the City of Austin's government access channel, ATXN.
APD said the 145th graduating cadets will be commissioned during the ceremony after completing a 34-week training program. Meanwhile, the 146th cadet class is a modified class of cadets with significant prior law enforcement experience. These cadets will also be commissioned during the ceremony after completing a 16-week training program.
According to the APD, the training for both cadet classes included crisis intervention, community policing, defensive tactics, driving, legal issues, leadership and physical fitness.
During Friday's graduation ceremony, Police Chief Joseph Chacon will administer the "Oath of Office" to the cadets.
Earlier this month, Chacon spoke to KVUE about the APD's continued struggle to keep officers and fill vacancies. Chacon said the department currently has 1,534 officers on the force and dozens of vacancies.
Chacon added that 167 officers have resigned or retired within the last year.
“It's not going to be a quick fix by any means. Because I continue, you know, to the normal attrition, to lose officers every single month,” Chacon said, adding, “It’s tough to be a police officer now in this city and the country. It’s always been a tough job, but officers have been under the microscope more than ever.”
In addition to the graduating cadet classes, Chacon said the APD is actively recruiting at college campuses and job fairs.
Britny Eubank on social media: Twitter